Adjustable pitman



(No Model.)

G. E. MEEKER;

Patented June 2,1891

WITNESSES: G E gig/W01? @or %M// ATTORNEY.

mm a, c.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. MEEKER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

ADJUSTABLE PITMAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,599, dated June 2,1891.

Application filed December 30, 1890. Serial No. 376,232. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, GEORGE E. MEEKER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in AdjustablePitmen; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of said invention, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable pitmen, and has forits object the production of a strong, simple, durable, andreadily-adjustable device for altering the distance between a crank oreccentric and that part of a machine which is to have a reciprocatingmotion imparted to it; and my said invention is particularly adapted foruse in converting the rotary motion of the crank or wrist pin intoreciprocating motion of the punch or die in a power-press. In this classof machines, as is Well known, the punch or die becomes gradually worn,and to compensate therefor the pitman should have means whereby itslength may be increased in order that the limits of motion of thedie-carrier will be in a lower plane. The limits of motion, or, in otherwords, the amount of motion or throw of the die-carrier, should alwaysbe uniform, as if otherwise an increase of motion results in a decreaseof power. Various devices for obtaining the desired adj ustment withoutalteration of the amount of stroke have been produced, but all, so faras I am aware, are either complicated and expensive or are weak andsubject to wear and breakage at the location of the adjusting mechanism.In my device all of these objections are, I believe, obviated.

In the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved pitman; and Fig. 2 is asect-ion of the upper part thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

A indicates the body of the pitman, having its lower end B shaped so asto be connected in any ordinary manner to the slide or diecarrier (notshown) of a power-press, or to any other part of a machine that is to bereciprocated. At the other end the pitman is enlarged and provided withan inclined slot or opening 0, the upper and lower sides of which formparallel ways for the traveling slide-block D. The angle of inclinationof this slot or the ways with respect to a line drawn through thelongitudinal center of the body of the pitman should be such that thediiference in distance from the lower end B to the opening D in theblock when at one end of the ways, and when at the other end of the wayswill equal the length of adjustment that is desired for the pitman--forinstance, in a die-press in which an adjustment of an inch and a quarteris desired, the upper end of the ways should be one and onefourth inchfarther from end B than that portion of the ways where the side of theslideblock nearest that upper end rests when the block is at its lowerlimit. Supposing that in Fig. 1 of the drawings the actual play allowedto the block is four inches and the rise or grade of the ways is an inchand a quarter in four inches, then the distance from D to B, when theparts are in the position indicated in full lines, will be one and aquarter inch less than said distance when the parts are in the positionindicated by the dotted lines. It is therefore obvious that byincreasing the pitch or incline of the ways this amount of adjustmentcan be obtained with a shorter length of slot or ways for the block, orthe pitch can be less and the ways longer. For a greater or less amountof capable adjustment in the length of the pitman the length of the waysor the incline or pitch thereof may be determined for the purposesdesired.

The opening D is for the wrist-pin or eccentric on the operating-shaftof the machine in which the pitman is employed, and fitted to ascrew-threaded opening (Z in the block is a screw (Z, having its endsfitted to the ends of the slot so as to turn freely therein, but have nolongitudinal movement. To either end of the screw a wrench may beapplied for turning it and causing the block to travel on the ways. Thesaid block is preferably formed of two parts d 61 having flanges dfitting over the sides of the ways and provided with screws or bolts duniting the two parts, which bolts may be tightened for firmly securingthe block in any adjusted position by clamping the flanges on the Ways.

A scale marked 011 one of the ways, as at 0, may be utilized forindicating fine adjust meni's.

The operation and the advantages of this form of adjustable pitman willbe obvious. All of the pressure will be upon parts thoroughly capable ofstanding it, and by applying the pitman so that the direction ofrotation of the wrist-pin will be as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1the pressure, when the power utilized is greatest, will be appliedapproximately at a right angle to the ways, and thus avoid any strainwhatever upon the screw.

While I believe the form as illustrated in the drawings to be the mostsuitable for the pitman of a die-press, it will be understood thatnodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention. For instance, the upper guideway, instead of being formedintegrally with the body of the pitman, may be a rod connected to lugsat each end; and a-reversal of the pitman-that is, a connection of theend'B with the crank or wrist pin of the machine and of the slideblockwith the die-carriermight be found practical in some cases.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A pitman having inclined parallel ways at one end and a slide-blockadjustable along,

said ways, said block and the other end of V at one end: and a blockfitted thereto and means for adjusting and holding the block on saidways, substantially as described.

3. In a pitman, the combination, with the body thereof having aninclined slot at one end, the sides of the slot being parallel, of aslide-block fitted to the sides of said slot and having means forconnection with an eccentric or wrist-pin, a, screw for moving the blockalong the ways, and means for securing the block in any adjustedposition, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

GEORGE E. MEEKER. lVitnesses:

F. A. STEVENS, I. L. HOLT.

